Today Mars enters Libra and boy am I relieved it’s leaving Virgo, where it's been since September 5th.

For the last month the planet of courage and competition joined with the energy of the craftsperson. I’m so tired of second-guessing myself and comparing my work to others. In just the past few days I had someone approach me for a reading, and then leave, shoulders slumped, because she expected to pay less for a reading. And then yesterday at a restaurant we noticed the tear-off ad of a fellow astrologer (and palmist, Tarot-reader, photo-reader, face-reader, etc.). He said he was his country’s top spiritualist. He promised “100% protection from life problems” forever. Three tabs with his phone number had been ripped off. That’s more clients than I’ve had this month.

Clearly, I have a problem with self-promotion. I don’t really have an elevator pitch. But I help people understand their current situations, make courageous choices, and find peace in themselves and their relationships. I don’t speak with the dead. I’m not going to tell you there’s an evil hex that’s kept you miserable. I’ll acknowledge your struggles, but also challenge some of your thought and behavior patterns. What I do is not for everyone. The people who come to me are seekers. They’re not into the novelty of it. They want to understand something more deeply and move forward from their own power.

It’s tempting to slash my prices just to get the word out. It’s tempting to make myself more of a generalist and learn other metaphysical crafts. But I’m a counseling astrologer. I also have a full-time job and a family. Both compete with but ultimately inform and improve my astrology practice. I look for and offer real-life solutions. I know what it’s like to juggle. I carve out a spiritual life knowing I can’t spend a month in Tibet. The people I counsel can’t either. I’m trying to find the holy in Queens, NY, while I drive Lyndon to school and myself to work so my family has health benefits.

And today as Mars travels through Virgo’s final degree, I release and find peace in my rant. If the last month has made you question what you do or compare it in value to what others do, I hope you can see what you do well. I hope you can value practical actions that you have taken and see their benefit. I hope you can see that your craft and your survival have been interwoven, sometimes helping each other and sometimes necessitating uncomfortable compromise. If you’ve gotten any better and you’re still here, well done.